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Biodiversity policies and strategies
Plantlife International supports the efforts by the European Commission, EU Member States and the Council of Europe to conserve biodiversity, by sharing plant based data from Important Plant Areas (IPA) projects.
We believe that given adequate financial support and capacity the Natura 2000 network and the Emerald Network have the potential to conserve and restore species diversity and support efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The main European Union and pan-European policy structures directly aimed at biodiversity conservation are described below.
Pan Europe
The Bern Convention & the Emerald Network: Adopted in Bern Switzerland (1979), this treaty covers the natural heritage of the European continent and extends to some states of North Africa. Its aim is to conserve wild flora and fauna in their natural habitats, and key sites are identified under the Emerald network.
Environment for Europe Process: This is a partnership of member states of all European countries, international organisations and NGOs. The Secretariat is held by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). There have been six conferences (Dobris 1991, Lucerne 1993, Sofia 1995, Aarhus 1998, Kiev 2003, Belgrade 2007) and several pan European conservation initiatives including: the Pan European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (PEBLDS), the Pan European Ecological Network (PEEN), the identification and conservation of High Nature Value Farmland across Europe, and the Aarhus Convention on public access to environmental information and justice, and participation in environmental decision making.
The European Union
EU Biodiversity Strategy: As signatory to the CBD the European Union has set itself targets to tackle biodiversity loss. The EU admitted that the 2010 target to halt biodiversity loss had not been achieved and cites poor implementation of legal measures, poor integration with other EU sectors, inadequate funding, insufficient data, and poor communication as reasons for failure. However although the target was not achieved many important projects and frameworks were implemented under this strategy and the EU has renewed its commitment to biodiversity and set itself a more ambitious target for 2020 which includes restoring degraded habitats.
EU Biodiversity post 2010 target - ‘halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, and restoring them in so far as feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss’
EU Birds and Habitats Directives& Natura 2000 Network: As part of its biodiversity strategy the EU has developed binding legal instruments which include the Birds and Habitats Directive (a list of species and habitats which must be conserved) and a network of sites across Europe (the Natura 2000 Network) to conserve them. The Directives and the Natura 2000 network have great potential for conservation and restoration of species and habitats and provision of ecosystem services, but sufficient funds must be committed by the EU and member states to achieve this.